Ogeechee River

So we asked the question on our social media outlets “What’s your favorite way to enjoy Vidalia onions. Our followers didn’t disappoint!

Here are some of the responses we got:

Deborah Brewer - Vidalia Onion Pie

Mia Knight Nichols - Grilled in butter

​Todd Wertz - Thick slice on top of a cheeseburger

Ray Sellars - On a bologna sandwich, egg sandwich, salad, or eat them like an apple

Laura Short - “Eaten” (Probably the most accurate response)

Vidalias from Shuman Produce, Reidsville, Georgia

Franklin Quinn Mullis suggested this recipe for French onion soup

Bland Farms Vidalias, Glennville, Georgia

Our good friend, Keith McClendon suggests the Vidalia Onion Upside Down Cornbread. For those of you not familiar with Keith, he roams the South eating delicious food. If he says something is good, it’s a safe bet, even at Churchill Downs. He suggested we google his suggestion, so we did. Here is the recipe:

Vidalia Onion Upside Down Cornbread

Author: Demetra Overton SweetSavant.com

Prep time: 15 minsCook time: 40 minsTotal time: 55 mins

Serves: 8 sservingss

You will need a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet for this dish. Please be careful flipping the cornbread out of the pan, do this at your own riskIngredients

2 Vidalia Onions

4 tablespoons of butter

1½ cups of fine ground yellow or white cornmeal, I used yellow

1 cup all purpose flour

1 and ½ teaspoons kosher salt

⅓ cup white sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

8 ounces frozen broccoli-thawed

½ cup cooked chopped bacon (optional)

4 eggs

16 ounces of 2% cottage cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Slice the Vidalia Onions into rings leaving the rings in order if possible

Melt the butter in the cast iron skillet

Place the onion slices close together into the butter, fill in any spaces with smaller bits of onion

Finely chop any remaining Vidalia onion and reserve it.

Let the onions cook on medium heat for 5 minutes

While the onions are cooking mix the batter:

Add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl and stir to combine.

In a large bowl beat 4 eggs, mix in the cottage cheese

Squeeze the water out of the broccoli and mix this into the eggs. Add the reserved chopped onions

Add the cornmeal mix and stir to combine. (add optional bacon if you like)

Pour the batter over the onions

Bake the cornbread for 20 - 23 minutes or until done.

Let the cornbread cool for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cornbread.

Place a plate over the pan and using oven mitts carefully flip the pan over and remove the cornbread from the pan